Ideas for Reports and Papers

1. Research the philosophical terms “existentialism” and “nihilism” and show how they apply to the Themes in Catch-22.

2. Read the novel One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey, or Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut, and compare the use of black humor and absurdity in that book and Catch-22.

3. Compare Catch-22 to a traditional World War II novel.

4. Define the term “anti-hero” and explain why Yossarian fits the role.

5. Although the “loss of innocence” theme usually focuses on younger Characters, such as Huck Finn or Holden Caulfield, it applies to the adult Yossarian in Catch-22. Discuss some of the episodes in which Yossarian loses his innocence.